Destination dining: Loveland food scene growing up

Where: The Boar and Bull butcher shop and delicatessen, 422 E. Fourth St.

What: At Boar & Bull, you can buy locally sourced cuts of meat to-go, you can grab a fat deli sandwich, or a barbequed brisket or a pulled pork. Cheeses are from Northern Colorado's Cozy Cow, MouCo and De La Chiva dairies. Every month, Rollison teaches a half-hog butchering class for groups, who get to take the meat home with them.

When: The shop and deli is open noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Dancing Pines DistilleryJosie Sexton/Coloradoan

Spirits

Dancing Pines Distillery

Where: 1533 Taurus Ct.

What: Loveland's original distillery opened in 2010 (old by craft distilling standards) and has since been perfecting its liquor. Dancing Pines makes rum, bourbon, wine vodka, brandy and an anise-strong gin. Chai liquor and black walnut bourbon liqueur are two crowd pleasers and award winners. Be sure to book a tour ahead of time on the distillery's website, stop in the tasting room for an in-house cocktail and hang around after for a free tasting flight of the spirits.

When: Tours are offered at 4:30 and 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and at 2, 4 and 6 p.m. Saturday

What else: If you like Dancing Pines, try Spring 44 Distilling, of honey vodka fame, across town at 505 W. 66th St.

Verboten BrewingErin Hull/Coloradoan

Beers

Verboten Brewing

Where: 1550 Taurus Ct.

What: One of seven breweries in Loveland, Verboten is the place to bring a group of hardened beer connoisseurs and novices alike, and everyone will leave pleased. The brewhouse is now transitioning from fruity summer wheats to almost-fall peach habanero ales and, by Oktoberfest, a warming pumpkin porter. In just a year and a half, Verboten has won awards for its brews, one of which was just re-released, rum barrel-aged. Don't forget to try the (seasonal?) dill pickle beer.

What else: If you like Verboten, try Grimm Brothers, 623 N. Denver Ave., or Loveland Aleworks, 118 W. Fourth St.

Verboten BrewingErin Hull/Coloradoan

Beers

Verboten Brewing

Next Door Food & Drink Brussels sproutsJosie Sexton/Coloradoan

Tapas

Next Door Food & Drink

Where: 222 E. Fourth St., #100

What: Bacon-wrapped dates, beer-soaked mussels, maple sherry glazed Brussels sprouts with a slow egg, peach burrata. Go during happy hour and get a handful of small plates that you can share, or not share.

When: Open at 11:30 a.m. seven days a week. Check the website www.nextdoorloveland.com for daily specials.

What else: If you like Next Door, try Generations Wine and Martini Bar, 127 W. Fourth St., and soon-to-open Origins Wine Bar and Wood Fired Pizza.

Erin Hooley/Coloradoan

Tapas

Next Door Food & Drink

Stout MarketErin Hull/Coloradoan

Dinner

Stout Market

Where: 405 E. Seventh St.

What: The house-turned-restaurant opened in April with a 1952 Ford custom smoker in the backyard and Memphis vinyls clinging to the wallpaper. Edge-to-edge barbeque pork pizzas are the house specialty, along with baby back ribs, pulled meats and a handful of southern-style sides (hard to choose only one). The couple hails from Tennessee and California. They also run a food truck in Fort Collins.

What: Cajun and Southern-style restaurant that re-opened July 16 after being closed for almost three months for cleanup and remodeling after pipes in the apartments above it leaked.

Whether you're looking for a late-night drink - perhaps some moonshine sweet tea? - asiago cheese grits and shrimp, or tender New Orleans/French pastries known as beignets, Mo' Betta Gumbo has got you covered. Bringing a N'awlins-style flair to Northern Colorado, the restaurant has a full bar, covered patio and is decked out in rich, warm colors and decorations reminiscent of of Mardi Gras and Bourbon Street.

Live bands make appearances each week, and things get pretty busy on Friday and Saturday nights.

What: A well-kept secret for Loveland locals, Tortilleria y Panaderia La Autentica is a speedy, budget-friendly lunch stop. Stop by the market-style side of the business and pick up a package of fresh-made tortillas, or grab a chicken-chipoltle burrito and enjoy lunch for less than $5.

There's some limited outdoor seating for nice days, but the eatery is a perfect grab-and-go for a quick midday meal.

Spending a Saturday in Loveland is like spending a Saturday in Fort Collins, just noticeably sleepier and with more parking spaces.

On the food front, Loveland's dining scene has grown just in the past six months to include a butcher shop and deli, a real Southern barbecue and a reimagined Cajun restaurant.

And while Next Door Food & Drink lost chef Ricky Myers to Jax Fish House in Fort Collins, soon after, the restaurant welcomed a new kitchen leader who says he's excited about the the town's culinary direction.

Matt Smith moved from California with his family to work at the popular tapas restaurant next to The Rialto Theatre. The former Cordon Bleu, Paris, student has worked at Michelin-starred restaurants in France and Spain. He met Chimney Park owner Jason Shaeffer while working at Laurel restaurant in San Diego.

From Palm Dessert, Calif., Loveland wasn't even on Smith's restaurant radar. Shaeffer told him about the job opening, though, and Smith thought the community looked like a good one for his young family.

"I figured, if I was a kid, where would I want to grow up?" Smith said of deciding on the Northern Colorado location. At the same time, "I was looking for a place that had a food scene I wanted to be a part of."

With plenty of local meat, produce, beer and spirits to choose from, Loveland's food scene is blossoming.

Miles Rollison opened a locally sourced butcher shop and deli, The Boar & Bull, on Fourth Street at the end of April. He and partner Austin Almquist are from Loveland, but they both moved away for work before deciding to return and open their own business.

"Originally we were looking in Fort Collins and Denver," Rollison said of potential locations for the butcher shop. Then the two visited their hometown.

"I couldn't believe it when I first moved back," he said. "Not only do we have a brewery in town, but we have several. It's nice coming downtown and seeing that it's turning a new leaf. There are less pawn shops and antique (stores) and more social hubs."

From his view at Next Door, Smith said he sees room for even more growth: "It kind of amazes me that there's not more in Loveland based on how busy we are," he said.

If you're visiting Loveland for a day, here are two new restaurants, and another newly cheffed, to tap into. In between bites, make sure to hydrate at two of the town's best watering holes, a neighboring brewery and distillery.

Lunch

Where: The Boar and Bull butcher shop and delicatessen, 422 E. Fourth St.

What: At Boar & Bull, you can buy locally sourced cuts of meat to go, and you can grab a fat deli sandwich or a barbequed brisket or a pulled pork. Cheeses are from Northern Colorado's Cozy Cow, MouCo and De La Chiva dairies. Every month, Rollison teaches a half-hog butchering class for groups, who get to take the meat home with them.

When: The shop and deli is open from noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday.

What else: If you like Boar and Bull, try Tortilleria la Autentica down the street for a quick Mexican lunch, 510 E. Fourth St.

Spirits

Where: Dancing Pines Distillery, 1533 Taurus Court

What: Loveland's original distillery opened in 2010 (old by craft distilling standards) and has since been perfecting its liquor. Dancing Pines makes rum, bourbon, wine vodka, brandy and an anise-strong gin. Chai liquor and black walnut bourbon liqueur are two crowd pleasers and award winners. Be sure to book a tour ahead of time on the distillery's website, stop in the tasting room for an in-house cocktail and hang around after for a free tasting flight of the spirits.

When: Tours are offered at 4:30 and 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and at 2, 4 and 6 p.m. Saturday

What else: If you like Dancing Pines, try Spring 44 Distilling, of honey vodka fame, across town at 505 W. 66th St.

Beer

Where: Verboten Brewing, 1550 Taurus Court

What: One of seven breweries in Loveland, Verboten is the place to bring a group of hardened beer connoisseurs and novices alike, and everyone will leave pleased. The brewhouse is now transitioning from fruity summer wheats to almost-fall peach habanero ales and, by Oktoberfest, a warming pumpkin porter. In just a year and a half, Verboten has won awards for its brews, one of which was just re-released, rum barrel-aged. Don't forget to try the dill pickle beer.

What else: If you like Verboten, try Grimm Brothers, 623 N. Denver Ave., or Loveland Aleworks, 118 W. Fourth St.

Tapas

Where: Next Door Food & Drink, 222 E. Fourth St., Unit 100

What: Bacon-wrapped dates, beer-soaked mussels, maple sherry glazed Brussels sprouts with a slow egg, peach burrata. Go during happy hour and get a handful of small plates that you can share, or not share.

What else: If you like Next Door, try Generations Wine and Martini Bar, 127 W. Fourth St., and soon-to-open Origins Wine Bar and Wood Fired Pizza.

Dinner

Where: Stout Market, 405 E. Seventh St.

What: The house-turned-restaurant opened in April with a 1952 Ford custom smoker in the backyard and Memphis vinyls clinging to the wallpaper. Edge-to-edge barbeque pork pizzas are the house specialty, along with baby back ribs, pulled meats and a handful of Southern-style sides (hard to choose only one). The couple who owns it hail from Tennessee and California. They also run a food truck in Fort Collins.